5 reasons for a Summer vacation

You Need a Real Vacation (And So Do Your Employees)

To empower and motivate employees. Leaving the office for a week or two forces you to shift major responsibilities to your employees. “I have found that when entrepreneurs empower their staff, they are more productive when their boss is gone,” says Brian Miller, the chief operating officer of AdviCoach, a provider of business coaching to small companies. To instill confidence in your employees (and for your own peace of mind), begin delegating tasks while you’re still in the office. That way, be it sales calls or stocking inventory, employees learn the ropes before they fly solo. Read More: 5 Steps to a Stress Free Summer Vacation

To get inspired. Richard Branson is a strong proponent of getting away from it all. “The places you go and the new people you meet can inspire you in unexpected ways,” he writes. “As an entrepreneur or business leader, if you didn’t come back from your vacation with some ideas about how to shake things up, it’s time to consider making some changes.” Read More:Richard Branson on How to Take an Inspirational Vacation

To sniff out dysfunction. If a majority of your employees are not using any of their vacation days, that could be a red-flag says Andrea Herran, the founder of Focus HR, a human resource consultancy. Is there some sort of dysfunction there? Is there a problem with the team? The employees may be overwhelmed or even staying put to cover up wrongdoing. “Employees need to get away and recharge. If they’re not doing so, something could be seriously wrong and it could be hurting your company,” she says. Read More: Should You Give Your Employees Unlimited Vacation Time?

To gain a new perspective. For Crosby Noricks, a fashion marketing strategist and founder of PR Couture, time off “actually fuels my creativity and gives my brain space to come up with better ideas, solutions to problems and efficiencies that I can’t always access if I am operating at a furious pace.” Read More: A Healthy Work/Life Balance Is No Unicorn

To disengage. Taking a break is often seen as the lazy man’s solution, but that may be the wrong way to look at it, says Bonnie Hayden Cheng, a PhD student at the University of Toronto. Recently Cheng co-authored a study which examined a group of university students juggling work, family and academic responsibilities. Participants who practiced cognitive disengagement by actively taking their minds off their troubles and onto something completely unrelated were better able to manage the tasks at hand than those who tried to push through without breaking.